Product Development Research Specialist - clearance required

LMI is seeking a Research Specialist to join our agile team working on the Health and Fitness prototyping effort for the PEO Soldier. The focus of this effort is to develop and deploy a unified software application that supports Soldiers, leaders, practitioners, and stakeholders in enhancing human performance across five domains: Physical, Sleep, Nutrition, Spiritual, and Mental.

As a Research Specialist, you will be the voice of the user, driving the early-stage product discovery and validation process. You will be responsible for designing and executing comprehensive, mixed-methods research to uncover deep user needs, pain points, and behaviors, particularly in the domain of wearables. You will translate complex insights into clear, actionable recommendations that directly inform product strategy, design, and development, ensuring we build the right product for the right user.

LMI is a new breed of digital solutions provider dedicated to accelerating government impact with innovation and speed. Investing in technology and prototypes ahead of need, LMI brings commercial-grade platforms and mission-ready AI to federal agencies at commercial speed.

Leveraging our mission-ready technology and solutions, proven expertise in federal deployment, and strategic relationships, we enhance outcomes for the government, efficiently and effectively. With a focus on agility and collaboration, LMI serves the defense, space, healthcare, and energy sectors-helping agencies navigate complexity and outpace change. LMI is committed to delivering impactful results that strengthen missions and drive lasting value.

HCD Discovery and Research

Embed human-centered design (HCD) discovery practices in all research efforts.
• Design and conduct mixed-methods user research (e.g., in-depth interviews, contextual inquiry, surveys, usability testing, and log analysis) to gather deep user insights.
• Analyze and synthesize qualitative and quantitative research findings into clear, actionable insights and product recommendations.
• Develop research artifacts such as user needs, mental models, and opportunity maps to guide the product development lifecycle.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders to define research goals and align on product strategy.
• Facilitate insight-sharing sessions and workshops to translate research findings into concrete product requirements.
• Advocate for the needs and experiences of the end user, ensuring their voice is central to decision-making.
• Partner with designers to ensure design solutions accurately reflect and address validated user needs.

Research Communication and Impact

• Develop personas, user journeys, and ecosystem maps to communicate a comprehensive understanding of the user experience to development teams.
• Establish and maintain a research repository to ensure findings are accessible and traceable across the organization.
• Iterate on research methods and approaches based on product stage and development needs to maximize research impact.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human-computer Interaction, Cognitive Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, a related field, or equivalent practical research experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in applied Product Research, User Experience Research, or Design Research, preferably with a focus on wearables or a similarly complex domain.
• Proven expertise in designing and conducting a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods (e.g., ethnographic studies, A/B testing analysis).
• Exceptional communication, storytelling, and presentation skills to effectively translate complex data into compelling, actionable product insights.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple research projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in statistical analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Python) or survey and quantitative analysis platforms (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Google Analytics).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in a research-intensive field.
• Familiarity with design and collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, and Mural/Miro.
• Familiarity or working proficiency in design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch) is a plus.
• Ability to support the creation of early-stage wireframes or prototypes to test key hypotheses and concepts derived from research.

Additional Information

• Hybrid at Ft Belvoir
• Must have a Secret Clearance

The target salary range for this position is - $90,270 - $155,037.63

The salary range displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is not a guarantee of compensation. Individual salaries are determined by various factors including, but not limited to location, internal equity, business considerations, client contract requirements, and candidate qualifications, such as education, experience, skills, and security clearances